The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-01
KILLED BY OPIUM.
A Cincinnati Druggist Tells About She
Fatal Results of the Drug.

/
Zone of my customers, who, three
wears ago was large, vigorous, healthy
man, is in his grave to-day because of
opium, or rather what was in his case,
a preparation of opium, morphine. He
was book-keeper in large manufact-
uring house, received big salary. had
a pleasant home and happy family.
Three years ago he had an attack of
sciatica, which confined him to his
home for several weeks, and caused in
tense suffering. to relieve which his
physician administered hypodermic in
iections of morphine. The effect was
instantaneous and delightful. The suf-
fering passed away and instead there
came peaceful calm, an ecstatic con-
dition of mind which was the more
pleasurable because wildly contrasted
with the days of pain that had gone
before. The gentleman continued
to use the injections during his i'll
ness, and when the disease had
been cured he was 10th to part with
his morphine. One day, however, |
gave him a good talking to, explaining
that he was committing suicide-that
death was inevitable if he continued TO
use the terrible drug, and at last got
him to promise me that he would give
it up. He did quit buying it of me, and
| supposed that he had ceased to use
it, but for prudential reasons said moth.
ing more about it. In the course of a
year my customer, who was friend
also, and for whom had a high regard,
- 10 / Of
plain it any better. His complexion
became sallow, his eyes sunken, his
form attenuated, his step got to be
| feeble and his vitality seemed to have
gone. | spoke to him about his ema-
ciated condition on three or four diff
| ferent occasions, begging him to con-
suit his physician, but he always de-
clared that he was feeling all right and
| that he would soon be looking all
right. One evening he came in my
! store to have chat with me and [
opened out on him with all the per-
suasion / could command, and | en-
treated him to either go to his physician
or let me give him some tonics. My
manner was so serious that it had its eff
feet, but the effect was far different from
what l had expected. The poor fellow
broke down, and with tears in his eyes
made horfifying confession to me.
! He told me that he had become avictim
to morphine, and that when he tried to
quit the use of it year before he had
found it impossible to do so. The con-
| fession upset me completely, and did
all that L could then and for weeks
after to get my customer to stop using
the fearful stuff, but he had got into .
morbid condition of mind and body and
nothing could save him. About year
after that he died a perfect wreck, and
to-day his cold and senseless body lies
beneath a beautiful monument in
Spring Grove Cemetery, itself covering
the hidden monument of clay that
warns every one to never touch that
horrible drug Better had my customer
suffered the fortunes of his disease. His
widow aud orphans would not to-day
be without a protector.
'And yet physicians will 90 on pre-
scribing morphine?" remarked the
newsman.
"Well, the physician who prescribed
| it for my customer will never give it to
any one again"
'It is bound to kill, is it?' asked the
newsman.
"In time it will. There is no help
| for it. The use of narcotics of any kind
will undermine the constitution until
the victim becomes Il wreck and the
wreck breaks up. | have customer
now for sulphate of morphine, a lady,
and young lady, too, who was mar
ried only two years ago, and who has u
fine baby boy. Some time ago she took
some sort of patent medicine for
neuralgia. There was morphine in the
stuff, and she took the medicine long
after the neuralgia was cured to pro-
cure the dreamy effects of the drug.
Then when she discovered what it was
that gave the effects she got to taking
| the morphine itself, and she comes to
my store and buys it by the drachm.
/ She knows that she ought not to use it,;
she knows it is running her, but the
habit is firmly fastened upon her and
she can not shake it of, l warned her
long ago, but she said she could not do
without her morphine, and so she uses
it day after day, always increasing the
dose. Her husband does not know Of
her weakness; it is a secret between
her and myself, but within the next
three years | know she will die, and
that morphine will have caused her
death. - Cincinnati Times Star.